


dear dream

by heyshawty



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, lucas yeri and yuqi are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 21:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18902881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyshawty/pseuds/heyshawty
Summary: but i don't want this to sound like we're about to depart(previously titled "home")





	dear dream

**Author's Note:**

> based off the song dear dream by nct dream

Mark Lee pulled on his graduation gown and stared at himself in the mirror. He could hardly believe it; he had finished four years of high school. Mark sat down on his bed and ran his hand through his hair. He thought back on his last four years. It seemed like it was yesterday that he walked through the doors of his high school for the first time as a shrimpy freshman. Having just moved from Canada, he didn't know anyone at his new school and managed to survive through the school year by mainly focusing on his school work. He did befriend a few seniors, such as Johnny and Taeil, but they graduated at the end of the year. Even though Mark sent them texts often, especially Johnny, it wasn't the same as seeing them everyday at school.

Mark wasn’t aware of it, but he would meet four of his closest friends his sophomore year.

Mark’s sophomore year started extremely uneventfully. He completed his school work as he had always done and spoke only when he was called on. It wasn't that he didn't have friends, he had Lucas and Yerim to count on if the teacher decided to drop a group assignment, but Mark never felt that they had much of a connection. Then, one day, as he walked down one of the hallways near the music rooms, he heard the most beautiful sound. Following the sound, he ended up in front of a practice room. Inside, was a boy with hair dyed a fierce, fiery red. The boy was standing with his back towards the door, so he hadn’t noticed Mark yet. The boy was singing “One Day More” from Les Mis, the musical the school would be performing that year. Mark stood outside the door, mesmerized by the boy’s beautiful voice. The boy suddenly turned around and saw Mark standing outside the door. Mark got a good look at the boy. He had wide, doe eyes, a cute button nose, and his complexion was moderately tan. Mark guessed the boy was a freshman, because he’d never seen him before. The boy stiffened and raised his eyebrows. He opened the door, “Can I help you?”

Mark stammered, “I was just-just walking by and,” he took a breath, “you have a beautiful voice. I’m Mark, by the way.”

The boy balked. “Donghyuck,” he said.

“Can I come in?” Mark asked. Donghyuck shrugged but opened the door wider. Donghyuck gestured for Mark to sit on the piano bench, and from that day on, Mark and Donghyuck were inseparable.

Mark grabbed an apple and chuckled as he thought about the amount of times he regret befriending Donghyuck that day. Donghyuck was...loud and unpredictable. He was extremely energetic. There was that one time when he went over to Mark’s house and nearly burnt the house down trying to make instant noodles. Despite all the chaos, Mark was truly grateful for Donghyuck, his best friend.

He met Jaemin and Jeno next.

“Mr. Choi definitely has only three shirts.” Donghyuck claimed. Mark snorted. “I’m serious!” Donghyuck protested. “It’s been, what, four months? And I’ve only seen the blue one, the red one, and the ugly ass orange one.”

“And you’ve been focusing on his shirts rather than the actual class content because…?” Mark questioned.

“Because,” Donghyuck sniffed, “not all of us can be a good nerd like you Mark Lee. Besides, I’ve already got an A in his class anyway.”

It was early-winter. Mark and Donghyuck were sitting in the library studying for their upcoming final semester exams. Correction: Mark was studying, and Donghyuck was eating peanuts next to him. “Moral support,” Donghyuck would claim, “I’m providing love and support for you by being here.”

Mark just rolled his eyes and went back to reading about the conservation of energy.

Not five minutes had passed before the doors of the library just about burst open and two boys stumbled in. The librarian and the other students shot them the dirtiest looks even as the two boys bowed apologetically and whispered, “Sorry!” Donghyuck looked up and waved at the two boys to come join them. Both boys had strong, pretty, facial features. One had the whitest, prettiest, set of teeth Mark had ever seen and the other had the cutest eye smile. “Mark, these are my two friends Jaemin and Jeno,” Donghyuck introduced. Jaemin and Jeno, as Mark found out, had been best friends since 2nd grade and met Donghyuck in their shared language arts class. Jaemin and Jeno were really easy to talk to, and soon, they became two of Mark’s closest friends.

Mark scrolled through his phone and reminisced in the memories he had with Jaemin and Jeno. Jaemin was a naturally affectionate person, and he would sometimes greet people with a kiss. The first time Jaemin pecked Mark on the cheek as a greeting, Mark was so surprised he accidentally slapped Jaemin. Donghyuck and Jeno were there, and they howled with laughter as Jaemin held his cheek, stunned, as Mark apologized profusely. Luckily, Jaemin didn’t seem too particularly bothered, but he didn’t try to kiss Mark again. Mark thought Jeno would be the quiet, more sane one within their group of four, but he soon found out that Jeno, although he wasn’t as loud and out-there as Donghyuck or Jaemin, he was strange in his own way. Once, when Jeno, Donghyuck, and Jaemin were all playing games at Mark’s house, Mark had just left the room to look for another game disk; when he returned, he saw Jeno trying to bite his game controller. Jeno, embarrassed, immediately apologized but Mark just patted his head and handed him a potato chip to eat instead.

Renjun was the last one Mark met in his sophomore year.

Mark and Jaemin were walking around their schoolyard as the sun peeked its head over the clouds. The snow was just starting to melt and the cool, crisp air was a nice contrast to the previous dark, dreary winter days. Jaemin was animatedly recounting the time when he and Jeno got lost in the woods when they were eight when they walked past a boy sketching. Mark didn’t mean to, but he peaked at the boy’s art and was blown away. They boy hadn’t noticed Mark yet, but Mark just stood in front of watched the boy as he continued his artwork. Jaemin walked alone for a bit before he realized Mark was no longer by his side. He turned around and saw Mark staring at a boy he recognized to be Huang Renjun. Jaemin walked back to join Mark. “Hey, Renjun, right?” The boy looked up, startled, and saw Na Jaemin and another boy looking at him. Renjun nodded, “Hey, Jaemin.”

“Your art is beautiful,” Mark blurted. “Do you think you could teach me to draw?”

Jaemin cringed at Mark’s bluntness but Renjun only giggled. “Thanks. And I guess I can.”

Renjun may not have been serious when he agreed to teach Mark how to draw, but Mark was persistent and determined. The next time Mark saw Renjun, Mark waved him over and set a time that worked for both of them. Renjun met Mark at his house and tried to teach him how to draw. Even though Mark didn’t get any better (and it ended with at least twenty balls of scrapped paper, two broke pencils, and, oddly, five damaged paint brushes), Renjun became entangled with his group of friends.

 

Just then, Mark’s phone lit up with a message.

 

**dream team ੧(❛▿❛✿)੭**

2:48 pm

 **injun** : mark where the hell are you

 **injun** : like half your class is already here?? hurry up

 **nana** : renjun be nice :(

 **nana** : mark's getting old it's getting hard for him to remember these things

 **jenojam** : SKKSSK HA

 **fullsun** : but it's his graduation day?? even tho he's getting old shouldn't he at least remember this??

 **morkle** : fuck you guys i'm on my way jesus christ

 

Mark pulled on his graduation cap and waved goodbye to his parents. He grabbed his keys and hopped in his car. As he backed out of his driveway, his phone lit up with another message.

 

**dream team ੧(❛▿❛✿)੭**

2:56 pm

 **lele** : hey uhhh mark

 **lele** : could u come get me and jisung

 **morkle** : i thought renjun had baby duty??

 **the baby ( ˘ ³˘)** : stop calling us that

 **the baby ( ˘ ³˘)** : what the fuck who changed my name again

 **nana** : language!!! ｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡

 **fullsun** : take a wild guess

 **injun** : they were too slow so i left w/o them lol

 **lele** : mark :(((

 **morkle** : ok ok i’m coming. but be ready and get out fast!!

 **jenojam** : don’t be late!!

 

Mark met Chenle and Jisung his junior year. Well, the summer before his junior year. Chenle and Jisung were both awkward freshmen; they both barely reached up to his chin, and Jisung was little more than skin and bones. They met in a “Freshman Forward” program his school enacted to help the freshman settle in. Upperclassmen were assigned to help freshmen feel more comfortable in high school. Chenle and Jisung, along with five other freshman, were assigned to Yerim’s and Mark’s group. From the start, Chenle and Jisung seemed very shy and didn’t really interact with the rest of the group much. Mark and Yerim were just finishing with their guided tour of the school when Yerim nudged him with her elbow. “Mark, go talk to those two. They look like they need a friend. I can talk about this next part.” As Yerim’s cheery voice talked about the extensive programs their school offered, Mark slowed his pacing and walked right next to Jisung. “Hi,” he smiled, “I’m Mark. What are your names?”

Jisung fidgeted with his sleeve, “I’m Jisung,” he said quietly. Chenle gave Mark a shy smile, “I’m Chenle.”

“Chenle...is that Chinese?” Mark guessed.

Chenle’s eyes widened and he nodded vigorously, “Yeah, how did you know?”

“Dumbass, it’s so obvious, everyone knows it’s Chinese.” Jisung muttered. Then, he whipped his head to look at Mark. “Oh my god Mark I’m so sorry-”

“It’s totally fine.” Mark laughed. “All of us swear all the time. We’re not going to report you or anything.”

Jisung looked relieved and Mark refrained from cooing and pinching his cheeks. At the end of the “Freshman Forward” program, Mark invited Chenle and Jisung to hang out with him, Donghyuck, Renjun, Jaemin, and Jeno later that night.

“I’m positive they’ll all really like you.” Mark coaxed. Chenle and Jisung glanced at each other and, shyly, agreed.

Mark was right. His friends, especially Jaemin, immediately welcomed Chenle and Jisung and took care of the two like they were their own brothers. They all met up at Mark’s house, and, because he just got his driver’s license earlier that month, Mark picked up Chenle, Jisung, and Donghyuck in his ratty old minivan. It was actually his mom’s old car, but Mark had practiced with it so many times that his parents just gave him the car. After Mark got his license, Donghyuck had demanded that Mark drive him around in his “Markmobile,” which was affectionately named by Jaemin.

“Best friend benefits,” Donghyuck would chirp as he hopped in the passenger seat.

As they all sat around the bonfire in his backyard, Mark smiled and watched Jaemin pinch Jisung’s cheeks again for the third time in five minutes. He watched Renjun and Chenle strike up an easy conversation in Mandarin. He watched Donghyuck and Jeno tease each other about the dumb thing that happened in their summer camp. The sky was starting to darken as the sun set and the stars twinkled in the distance. Mark tilted his head up to the sky and breathed in the warm, summer air. He stared up at the fading light and felt the light breeze kiss his face. He sat on the grass and ran his hands through the lush green blades, occasionally plucking some from the ground.

“What are you thinking about?” Donghyuck asked. Mark looked up and saw Donghyuck curiously staring at him. Jeno had gone off to bother Jaemin, so Donghyuck went to join Mark. Mark patted the empty space next to him and Donghyuck sat down. “I don’t know. Nothing. Everything.” Mark sighed. “Do you ever just think about how insignificant we all are? Look up at the sky. We’re all on a giant, floating ball of rock in the middle of nowhere. Is there a point? Are we going somewhere?”

Donghyuck glanced over at Mark and linked their pinkies together. “That’s a big question. Whoever finds the answer to that will probably also find the meaning of life.” Donghyuck chuckled. “Actually, I’ve been having this dream a lot recently. I think it’s...I’m lost in a void. I don’t know where I am and it’s actually kind of terrifying--stop laughing, Mark! Anyway, it’s dark and it’s unknown. I’m falling, and I’m trying to find a way to stop. Suddenly, this--this light appears out of nowhere and a compass falls in my hand. This is where it gets weird. After the compass falls in my hand, everything bursts into light and warmth and six silhouettes appear in front of me.” Donghyuck paused. “The compass is still with me, but...but I’m one of the silhouettes.”

Mark frowned. Donghyuck continued, “It’s weird, but the compass also feels oddly...familiar, but not at the same time. Like, it feels like I’ve had it my whole life but I’ve only seen it for two minutes.” Donghyuck shrugged. “Maybe I’m thinking too much into it. It’s only just a dream, right?”

Mark opened his mouth to answer Donghyuck when Renjun called out to both of them. “Hey, Mark, Donghyuck! What’s going on over there?”

Donghyuck looked over at Mark then turned to Renjun. “Nothing!” He chirped. “Just reminiscing at how amazed Mark was with me the first time we met! Hey Chenle, Jisung, want to hear how Mark was practically speechless when we met?”

“Donghyuck! I was not--”

 

Mark pulled up to Chenle’s house and both Chenle and Jisung sprinted out of the house like they were on fire. Mark heard someone, probably Chenle’s mom, scream something in Mandarin. Chenle shouted back a, “Not yet!” before he climbed into the back seat of Mark’s van, behind Jisung in the passenger seat. “Yo dream!” Mark shouted. “Let’s give dope, fighting!” Chenle and Jisung shouted back, in Korean. Mark laughed. He didn’t know when their little tradition started, but it was something special they, all seven of them, did. Someone, usually Mark, would shout “Yo dream!” and the other six would reply with “Let’s give dope, fighting!” They shouted it almost everywhere, and it became their own little trademark chant.

 

Mark started the short, seven-minute drive to the events center where graduation would be held. While Chenle and Jisung bickered about some eggs that were dropped earlier that day, Mark’s mind started to drift. He thought about all the memories he’d made with his friends over the past two years. It was like they’d known each other their whole lives; they did almost everything together. During the Spring Break of his junior year, all seven of them went to the beach. The water was cool on their skin in contrast to the hot sun. They splashed each other with water and chased seagulls around on the shore. “Don’t these seagulls look a bit like Mark?” Donghyuck had asked. Although Mark didn’t see it, all the others did and would call him teasingly call him a seagull from time to time. They were all playing in the water when Mark slipped and crashed into the sand. Just when they had all calmed down, Renjun shouted, “The seagull doesn’t know how to walk on the sand!”

Everyone tumbled back into the sand, stomaches practically bursting with laughter.

 

“Hey, Mark?” Jisung asked, and it brought Mark back from his memory.

“Yeah?” Mark replied.

“It’ll be weird without you. Like, who’ll drive us around in the Markmobile? Who will break Donghyuck and Renjun apart when their teasing becomes slightly more brutal? Who will stop Jaemin from terrorizing me?”

Mark laughed, a little choked up. He looked over at Jisung, who was already staring at him with wide, slightly melancholic eyes. Mark ruffled Jisung’s hair, “You guys will be fine. Besides, it’s not like I’m leaving forever. You’ll all still get to see me during the summer and during the breaks. Cheer up guys, it’s not the end of the world. You two, Jaemin, Donghyuck, Renjun, and Jeno all have each other. And you’ll always have me.”

Chenle smiled sadly, “But it won’t be the same. We were always together, in the same time, the same place. Now, it’s like…”

“Like we’re in the same boat, but on different oceans.” Jisung finished.

Mark bit his lip and returned his attention to the road. A minute later, he pulled into the parking lot of the events center. As he locked the car, he stayed behind a few seconds and studied both Chenle and Jisung. When they first met, Chenle and Jisung were just fresh out of middle school and were scared, unsure. He saw them both grow both physically and mentally within the two years they knew each other. Mark would miss Chenle and his overexcited, infectious laughing. He would miss Jisung, whom he’d practically watched grow up. Mark doesn’t know where the time went, where all their youth went. As he mourned over their lost time, Chenle turned around, “Mark, are you coming?”

Mark hesitated, then took a deep breath.

“I’ll be there.”

 

Soon after Mark entered the events center, the actual graduation ceremony began. Many speeches were given by the principal, the superintendent, and the graduates themselves. There were many teary-eyed students that cried out about, “never forgetting the experiences and lessons” they’d had in high school and other starry-eyed students that exclaimed how excited they were for “the next chapter in their book of life.” Mark’s personal favorite speech was given by Song Yuqi, which was both parts funny and inspirational. “We were someone’s dream,” she ended, “we’ve touched and inspired so many people. We were the lighthouse to depend on in dark storms. Don’t forget. All the hours we put in, all the all-nighters we pulled was for someone: it was for you and for where you’re going in life. Class of 2018, we’re going far. Be the star that shines for you.”

 

“Mark Lee.”

A roar floated from the center of the audience as Mark’s family and friends cheered for him. Mark squinted and saw Renjun, Jaemin, Jeno, Donghyuck, Jisung, and Chenle all standing and waving their arms. Mark saw Jaemin ferociously shake Jisung and laughed as Jisung made a face and shoved Jaemin into Jeno. Mark walked onto the stage, shook the principal’s hand, and took his diploma. As he walked off the stage, he couldn’t help but feel light, like he could fly away at anytime. He glanced back at the audience and saw Jeno rubbing Donghyuck’s shoulder, who was crying into Renjun. Mark felt a wave of emotion as he thought about how alone they, Donghyuck and he, were before they met.

 

Donghyuck told him once, when it was just him and Mark. It was one of those spring days, ones that look nice and warm but, in reality, are cold and almost depressing. Mark and Donghyuck were lying in Mark’s bed in his room, laughing about anything, really. Soon, their laughter faded away and they lay side by side. It wasn’t awkward--it almost never was with them. It was just quiet and peaceful.

“You know,” Donghyuck said suddenly, “I never told you how grateful I was for meeting you that day.”

Mark raised his eyebrows. Donghyuck continued.

“I felt really lost a lot during that time. You know how my dad lost his job around that time? Yeah, well, I was also feeling really insecure, especially towards my singing. We had musical auditions that day we met, yeah? I was feeling awful about it. I didn’t think I could do it. I was actually just about to give up when I turned around and,” he paused, “you were standing there. I was so surprised. And when you told me I had a beautiful voice,” another pause, “you gave me the motivation I needed. Thank you for that.”

Mark didn’t know what to say, so he just wrapped an arm around the younger. They stayed like that until Mark’s dad came in to hand them both sandwiches.

 

_The lighthouse to depend on._

He understood.

 

“Mark!”

Mark turned his head and saw Jaemin barreling straight towards him. He staggered under the weight as Jaemin threw himself onto Mark. As Mark hugged Jaemin closer, he saw Renjun, Chenle, Jeno, Donghyuck, and Jisung all hovering around them. Mark waved them over and, one by one, they added to themselves to the pile. Mark heard someone sniff and he felt his own eyes grow hot with tears. This was his family, his _home_. For the past two to three years, they’d been through everything together. They watched each other grow, as humans and as people. They watched each other succeed and fail. They were with each other through the good times and the bad times, through the calm and through the storm. They broke apart, and Mark saw Renjun rub furiously at his eyes. Then, Chenle, Jisung, Donghyuck, Jeno, Renjun, and Jaemin all looked expectantly at Mark.

 

_Chant it like we always did._

He cupped his hands around his mouth.

“Yo dream!”

**Author's Note:**

> so i,,,might have lied and said there were ships  
> i mean, in the fic, i didn't outright say they were ships, you could tell they were still there. the main point of this fic weren't the ships though, the main point was that everyone grows up. youth is fleeting, and life is what you make of it.  
> also, i miss mark being a part of dream  
> follow my twitter @purenjunnn i need more moots and i soft cry about mark a lot


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